So...we are moving to England!: The one about Mom's (Nana's) trip to England.

We had the absolute pleasure of my Mom's company for two weeks over here in jolly old England. The boys were more than thrilled to have Nana in the house. Beth and I were pretty darn excited as well (sorry for the cuss, Mom).

We spent the first couple of days showing her around Marlow. The bridge, the River Thames, Higginson Park, High St., and of course, the pubs (including the English pub that serves Chinese take out, a/k/a take-away).

The River Thames

Mom calling John to make sure her basement sump pump was working....

We built up quite a thirst after all of that walking. Cheers, mate.

Next on the agenda was Windsor Castle. It is the oldest occupied castle in the world. Because of the resemblance she practically had to stop for autographs. (Side note, Henry picked up a pamphlet for Windsor Castle that was at the house and asked why Nana was on the cover).

She is not rockin' headphones from the 80's. They were for our audio tour.

Changing of the guard.

ATTENTION!

They don't allow you to take pictures inside the Castle which is unfortunate because it is quite a sight to see. Royal bedrooms, banquet halls, historical paintings, etc. My Mom is standing in front of St. George's Cathedral filled with tombs of kings and queens of days gone by.

The first (but not the last) plate of fish and chips.

In between our travels she read A LOT of books to Henry and Oliver. Here she is in action.

Next stop on the itinerary was Buckingham Palace.

We braved the rains to watch the changing of the guards at the palace.

Next we jumped on the London Eye. Think of it as a giant Ferris Wheel but instead of seats you travel in pods.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Westminster Abbey. The Abbey was closed to tidy up for the Queen's and Prince Charles' arrival for the next day's knighting - the Installation of the Knights of the Order of the Bath. I intend to send a strongly worded letter to express our displeasure with its closure.

After a busy morning we stopped at St. Stephen's Tavern for lunch. The tavern is situated opposite the Houses of Parliament and includes bells that ring giving the Members of Parliament a warning that there are a few minutes left to vote. We actually heard the bells, saw the pub empty and on BBC television we could see the Parliament chambers being filled.

After a hearty lunch we headed over to the Tower of London and the Tower of London Bridge.

More reading...

Later in the week we headed to Hambledon Village which is only a short drive from our house. It is like taking a step back in time - the post office also serves as the local shop and cafe (and liquor store). Here is a picture of Beth and my Mom in front of one of our favorite pubs the Stag & Huntsman.